


A Burden Halved

by Vipersweb (Rhianona)



Series: Tags to Eureka [4]
Category: Eureka
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-04
Updated: 2010-08-04
Packaged: 2017-10-10 22:52:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/105284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhianona/pseuds/Vipersweb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tag to 4x04: Jack and Jo, back at SARAH</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Burden Halved

Last time Jo spent the night at SARAH's had been a reality ago. Then, she and Zane had — ostensibly — watched over Zoe and her friends while Jack was out of town.

It was different this time. She had no home to go to, Zoe was away at Harvard and living a life far different than she had in Eureka, and Zane no longer belonged with Jo.

Carter, at least, let her cope the way she wanted; he didn't push for answers, didn't ask if she was okay. And somehow, that made it all the easier to talk about it with him.

"He called me Jo-Jo," she said at dinner. Her lips twitched and she played with her fork, not really seeing the food or the table or anything. "He called me Jo-Jo and gave me that smile he always used to give me."

Carter just smiled at her, eyes full of sympathy. Normally, she wouldn't accept something like that but he understood what she was going through.

"I don't get him," she continued. Really, she just needed someone to listen to her complain and Carter had volunteered when he went all big brother on her and dragged her to SARAH with him rather than let her crash in the jail cell. "I keep trying to figure out what went different, why he's like this."

"Why is anyone different?" Jack asked. "Sure, most of us still ended up in Eureka, but look at Kevin. What was it about Grant coming to the future that changed Kevin from being autistic to well… not? That made Fargo head of GD, you head of security there, Henry married."

"I don't know," she said and frowned. "We're not scientists."

"No, we're sane," Carter said, solemnly and then cracked a smile. "I don't know, Jo. This whole thing… I'm not cool with it. I wish…" he trailed off and gave her a forced smile. "I'm not as bad off as I could be, but this whole thing's thrown me for a loop."

She nodded and gave him a small twisted smile. "Yep. Hear you on that."

He took a sip of his beer and studied her. She tried to ignore it but didn't do that great of a job. "What are you going to do about Zane?"

She sighed. Of course he went for the difficult question. "I don't know," she finally answered. "I know he's not my Zane but there are moments…" she trailed off and gave him a shrug. "I know things could be worse. I just have a broken heart. I still have a job and I like it. I mean, I miss working with you, but I like being head of security."

He smiled sympathetically at her. "You're doing a great job. Not that that makes up for no Zane."

"I just wish he wasn't such an ass," she said.

"Well… I don't know if that's possible," he chuckled. She smiled with him. "Come on. You need to eat. We can figure out what we're doing with Zane tomorrow."

"Yeah, okay," she said. Jo had no idea what she was going to do with Zane, didn't know how much more she could take of the glimpses she had of him. She'd handle it because she had to and cry on Carter's shoulder if it came to that.

She just hoped it didn't.


End file.
